U.S. patent application number 13/020327 was filed with the patent office on 2011-08-04 for single to two point tactical sling.
Invention is credited to Brian K. Alford.
Application Number | 20110186603 13/020327 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44340736 |
Filed Date | 2011-08-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110186603 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Alford; Brian K. |
August 4, 2011 |
SINGLE TO TWO POINT TACTICAL SLING
Abstract
Provided is a sling for coupling a weapon to a user of the
weapon. The sling includes a strap, and a weapon connector that
cooperates with a fastening feature provided to the weapon to
releasably couple the weapon to the strap. A first connector is
coupled to the strap, as is a second connector, which is coupled to
a different portion of the strap. The second connector is separated
from the first connector along the sling by at least a portion of
the strap. The first and second connectors cooperate to establish a
connection and form a loop that extends about a portion of the user
of the weapon. The sling also includes a rapid sizing adjuster
coupled to the strap. The rapid sizing adjuster is adjustable by
the user of the weapon to quickly establish a desired length of the
sling in a single motion while the sling is coupling the weapon to
the user.
Inventors: |
Alford; Brian K.; (Port
Washington, OH) |
Family ID: |
44340736 |
Appl. No.: |
13/020327 |
Filed: |
February 3, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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61301323 |
Feb 4, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
224/150 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41C 33/002 20130101;
F41C 33/00 20130101; F41C 23/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/150 |
International
Class: |
F41C 33/00 20060101
F41C033/00 |
Claims
1. A sling for coupling a weapon to a user of the weapon, the sling
comprising: a strap having a length suitable to extend around at
least a portion of the user when the sling couples the weapon to
the user; a weapon connector that cooperates with a fastening
feature provided to the weapon to releasably couple the weapon to
the strap; a first connector coupled to the strap; a second
connector coupled to a different portion of the strap and separated
from the first connector along the sling by at least a portion of
the strap, wherein the first and second connectors cooperate to
establish a connection and form a loop that extends about a portion
of the user of the weapon; and a rapid sizing adjuster coupled to
the strap, the rapid sizing adjuster being adjustable by the user
of the weapon to quickly establish a desired length of the sling in
a single motion while the sling is coupling the weapon to the
user.
2. The sling of claim 1, wherein the strap comprises a
generally-tubular portion that encloses a substantially-elastic
material that is extendable to temporarily elongate a length of the
sling in a substantially elastic manner.
3. The sling of claim 2, wherein a length of the generally-tubular
portion enclosing the substantially-elastic material is greater
than a length of the substantially-elastic material.
4. The sling of claim 2, wherein the generally-tubular portion is
arranged along the sling to extend over an upper torso of the user
while coupling the weapon to the user, and the generally-tubular
portion comprises a transverse dimension of approximately two (2
in.) inches.
5. The sling of claim 1, wherein the second connector comprises a
snap hook that clips onto the first connector to complete the loop,
and wherein the snap hook is removable from the first connector and
is compatible with an anchor point provided to the weapon to
convert the sling from a single-point configuration to a
multi-point configuration.
6. The sling of claim 5, wherein the first connector comprises a
portion that at least partially defines an aperture and a
substantially-planar region having a primary surface that faces the
user wearing the sling, wherein the portion at least partially
defining the aperture and the primary surface are in a
substantially-common plane.
7. The sling of claim 1, wherein the second connector is compatible
with both a fastening feature provided to the weapon and the first
connector, wherein the second connector cooperates with the
fastening feature to couple the sling to the weapon in a
multi-point configuration and cooperates with the first connector
to complete the loop in the single-point configuration.
8. The sling of claim 1, wherein the weapon connector is releasably
coupled to the strap by a coupler comprising a plurality of
independent release mechanisms that each require manual
manipulation to release the weapon connector from the sling.
9. The sling of claim 1 further comprising a second weapon
connector adjacent to the second connector, wherein the second
weapon connector is different from the second connector.
10. The sling of claim 9, wherein at least one of the weapon
connector and the second weapon connector is selected from the
group consisting of: a push button swivel, a snap hook, and a mash
hook.
11. The sling of claim 9, wherein the second weapon connector is
provided sufficiently close to the second connector to make contact
with the second connector, the sling further comprising a silencer
that minimizes a sound emitted as a result of said contact between
the second weapon connector and the second connector.
12. The sling of claim 11, wherein the silencer comprises an
adjustable sleeve formed from a substantially-elastic material that
can be slid at least partially over one or both of the second
weapon connector and the second weapon connector to substantially
maintain a position of at least one of the second weapon connector
and the second connector to minimize the contact between the second
weapon connector and the second connector contact.
13. The sling of claim 1, wherein the rapid sizing adjuster
comprises: a quick adjust buckle slidably coupled to travel along a
portion of the strap, wherein the quick adjust buckle comprises an
aperture through which the portion of the strap travels during
adjustment of the rapid sizing adjuster to establish the desired
length of the sling; and a handle coupled to the quick adjust
buckle, wherein the handle, when pulled by a single hand of the
user while wearing the sling adjusts a position of the quick adjust
buckle along the portion of the strap to adjust the length of the
sling.
14. The sling of claim 13, wherein the quick adjust buckle is
coupled adjacent to one end of the portion of the strap, the second
connector is coupled adjacent to an opposite end of the strap, and
the portion of the strap extends through an aperture defined by the
quick adjust buckle.
15. The sling of claim 13, wherein the handle comprises a flexible
material coupled to the quick adjust buckle to define an aperture
between the length of flexible material and the quick adjust
buckle.
16. The sling of claim 15, wherein the flexible material comprises
a rigidity that substantially maintains an unbiased shape
positioning a portion of the handle at least one (1 in.) from the
quick adjust buckle.
17. The sling of claim 15, wherein the flexible material coupled to
the quick adjust buckle extends transversely across the quick
adjust buckle relative to a direction in which the quick adjust
buckle travels along the portion of the strap during
adjustment.
18. The sling of claim 1 further comprising a second length
adjustment region between the first and second connectors, the
second length adjustment region comprising a first adjustment
buckle adjacent one end of the length adjustment region, and a
second adjustment buckle adjacent an opposite end of the length
adjustment region relative to the first adjustment buckle, wherein
at least three passes of the strap extend between the first and
second adjustment buckles.
19. The sling of claim 18, wherein the first and second adjustment
buckles comprise slip lock buckles.
20. A sling for coupling a weapon to a user of the weapon, the
sling comprising: a strap formed from a plurality strap segments
and having a length suitable to extend around at least a portion of
the user when the sling couples the weapon to the user, wherein a
portion of the strap supports a substantially-elastic material that
is extendable to temporarily elongate the sling from an unbiased
length to an elongated length in a substantially elastic manner; a
first connector coupled to the strap adjacent a first end of the
strap; a hooked connector coupled to the strap adjacent to a second
end of the strap, wherein the hooked connector cooperates with the
first connector to configure the strap into a loop that extends
about the portion of the user of the weapon wearing the sling; a
weapon connector that cooperates with a rearward connector provided
to a relatively rearward portion of the weapon to couple the weapon
to the sling; a coupler that releasably couples the weapon
connector to the strap externally of the loop, allowing the weapon
connector to extend away from the loop established by cooperation
between the first connector and the hooked connector; and a rapid
sizing adjuster coupled to the strap between the first and hooked
connectors to adjust a length of one of the plurality of strap
segments that extends between the hooked connector and the portion
of the strap enclosing the substantially-elastic material, the
rapid sizing adjuster comprising: a quick adjust buckle slidably
coupled to the strap to travel along a portion of the strap, and a
handle coupled to the quick adjust buckle to be grasped for
adjusting the length of one of the plurality of strap segments,
wherein the handle comprises a portion defining a portion of an
aperture, said portion being separated at least one (1 in.) inch
from the quick adjust buckle.
21. The sling of claim 21 further comprising a second weapon
connector coupled adjacent to the hooked connector adjacent to the
second end of the strap, wherein the second weapon connector is
different from the hooked connector.
22. The sling of claim 22, wherein the coupler comprises a
plurality of independent release mechanisms that each require
manual manipulation to release the weapon connector from the
sling.
23. The sling of claim 20, wherein a free end of the one of the
plurality of strap segments is taken up by the rapid sizing
adjuster during adjustment to shorten a length of the one of the
plurality of strap segments, and not freely suspended from the
rapid sizing adjuster as a result of said adjustment.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/301,323, filed Feb. 4, 2010, which is
incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This application relates generally to a sling for coupling a
weapon to a person and, more specifically, to a tactical sling that
couples a firearm to a person and is adjustable between a
single-point configuration and a multiple-point configuration.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Traditionally, slings for coupling a weapon such as a
firearm to a person have been configured as either a two-point
sling or a single-point sling. Traditional two-point slings have
commonly included a length of material extending between a pair of
fasteners. A first fastener at one end of the material cooperates
with a forward portion of the firearm, adjacent to a barrel of the
firearm for example. A second fastener at the other end of the
material, opposite the end with the first fastener, includes a
second fastener that cooperates with a rearward portion of the
firearm, such as the stock. With the two fasteners at opposite ends
of the material cooperating with the firearm, the length of
material could be draped over the person's shoulder, neck, or other
body part to suspend the firearm from that person.
[0006] Traditional two-point slings allow the firearm suspended
from the person to be quickly removed, and allow for a wide range
of movement of the firearm on the person. Two-point slings also
maintain the firearm at an elevation above the person's legs,
allowing the person wearing the sling to walk or even run without
kicking the firearm. However, two-point slings also typically
suspend the firearm only in a substantially-horizontal orientation,
which may be undesirable for certain tactical situations requiring
the person to navigate narrow spaces with a long firearm.
[0007] As the name suggests, traditional single-point slings have
commonly included only a single fastener that connects the firearm
to the sling at a single location on the firearm at any given time.
The length of material attached to the single fastener of a
single-point sling typically forms a loop that extends around the
upper torso (usually over one shoulder and under the other) of a
person wearing the sling. Since the single-point sling is attached
to the firearm at only a single location, the firearm is allowed to
dangle in a substantially-vertical orientation from the person
wearing the sling. This vertical orientation of the firearm allows
the person to navigate narrow walkways and positions the firearm
out of the way of the person wearing the sling. However, it may be
cumbersome to walk with the firearm in the vertical orientation
since the firearm will often extend down significantly along the
person's legs.
[0008] Thus, there are times when a two-point sling is convenient
and other times when a single-point sling is convenient. However,
in tactical applications the person who is to wear the sling is
often required to walk long distances, or repel from or climb up
vertical obstacles carrying various tactical gear. Under such
circumstances it is desirable for the person to travel light,
making it impractical to carry both slings. But even if the person
is carrying both the two-point and single-point slings, tactical
operations often require the person wearing the sling to react
quickly to a potential threat or a change in environment. Under
such circumstances there will probably be an insufficient amount of
time available for the person to change to the sling most
appropriate for the given environment.
[0009] But regardless of whether a sling is a two-point or a
single-point sling, conventional slings have traditionally included
limited adjustment options for adjusting a length of the sling to
fit people of various sizes. One such adjustment feature has
typically included a strap doubled over onto itself through a slide
lock adjuster. Adjusting the length of the sling using such an
adjustment feature requires the person wearing the sling to remove
it and manually feed a length of the material through the adjuster,
followed by the second step of pulling the other portion of the
material doubled over onto the newly-fed material through the
adjuster. Such an adjustment is time consuming and tedious,
requiring a high degree of dexterity in the person's hands. For
tactical applications, a rapid adjustment may be required in less
time than required for manual adjustment of a conventional slide
lock adjuster through which the sling material extends and is
doubled back on itself for another pass through the slide lock.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0010] According to one aspect, the subject application involves a
sling for coupling a weapon to a user of the weapon. The sling
includes a strap having a length suitable to extend around at least
a portion of the user when the sling couples the weapon to the
user, and a weapon connector that cooperates with a fastening
feature provided to the weapon to releasably couple the weapon to
the strap. A first connector is coupled to the strap, as is a
second connector, which is coupled to a different portion of the
strap. The second connector is separated from the first connector
along the sling by at least a portion of the strap. The first and
second connectors cooperate to establish a connection and form a
loop that extends about a portion of the user of the weapon. The
sling also includes a rapid sizing adjuster coupled to the strap.
The rapid sizing adjuster is adjustable by the user of the weapon
to quickly establish a desired length of the sling in a single
motion while the sling is coupling the weapon to the user.
[0011] According to another aspect, the subject application
involves a sling for coupling a weapon to a user of the weapon. The
sling includes a strap formed from a plurality strap segments and
having a length suitable to extend around at least a portion of the
user when the sling couples the weapon to the user. A portion of
the strap supports a substantially-elastic material that is
extendable to temporarily elongate the sling from an unbiased
length to an elongated length in a substantially elastic manner. A
first connector is coupled to the strap adjacent a first end of the
strap, and a hooked connector is coupled to the strap adjacent to a
second end of the strap. The hooked connector cooperates with the
first connector to configure the strap into a loop that extends
about the portion of the user of the weapon wearing the sling. The
sling also includes a weapon connector that cooperates with a
rearward connector provided to a relatively rearward portion of the
weapon to couple the weapon to the sling. A coupler releasably
couples the weapon connector to the strap externally of the loop,
allowing the weapon connector to extend away from the loop
established by cooperation between the first connector and the
hooked connector. The sling also includes a rapid sizing adjuster
coupled to the strap between the first and hooked connectors to
adjust a length of one of the plurality of strap segments that
extends between the hooked connector and the portion of the strap
enclosing the substantially-elastic material. The rapid sizing
adjuster includes a quick adjust buckle slidably coupled to the
strap to travel along a portion of the strap, and a handle coupled
to the quick adjust buckle to be grasped for adjusting the length
of one of the plurality of strap segments. The handle comprises a
portion defining a portion of an aperture, the portion being
separated at least one (1 in.) inch from the quick adjust
buckle.
[0012] The above summary presents a simplified summary in order to
provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the systems and/or
methods discussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview
of the systems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended
to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope of such
systems and/or methods. Its sole purpose is to present some
concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed
description that is presented later.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The invention may take physical form in certain parts and
arrangement of parts, embodiments of which will be described in
detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings which form a part hereof and wherein:
[0014] FIG. 1 shows an illustrative embodiment of a sling according
to an aspect of the present technology;
[0015] FIG. 2a shows a weapon coupled to a user by a sling in a
single-point configuration;
[0016] FIG. 2b shows a weapon coupled to a user by a sling in a
two-point configuration;
[0017] FIG. 3 shows an illustrative embodiment of a slide lock
buckle that can be used as a connector between strap segments;
[0018] FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of the slide lock buckle
taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3, a similar cross-sectional view of
the slide lock embodiment of the connector 50 provided to a strap
segment, and multiple passes of the strap segment extending between
the slide lock buckles;
[0019] FIG. 5 shows an illustrative embodiment of a first connector
including two apertures formed in a metallic plate for coupling the
metallic plate to a strap, and a generally D-shaped aperture for
cooperating with a second connector to establish a loop
configuration of the strap;
[0020] FIG. 6 shows an illustrative embodiment of a second
connector in the form of a snap hook;
[0021] FIG. 7 shows an illustrative embodiment of a second
connector in the form of a push button swivel;
[0022] FIG. 8 shows an illustrative embodiment of a second
connector in the form of a mash hook;
[0023] FIG. 9 shows a bottom view of an illustrative embodiment of
a quick adjust buckle included as part of a rapid sizing adjuster;
and
[0024] FIG. 10 shows an end view of a quick adjust buckle and
handle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and
is not to be taken as a limitation on the present invention.
Relative language used herein is best understood with reference to
the drawings, in which like numerals are used to identify like or
similar items. Further, in the drawings, certain features may be
shown in somewhat schematic form.
[0026] It is also to be noted that the phrase "at least one of", if
used herein, followed by a plurality of members herein means one of
the members, or a combination of more than one of the members. For
example, the phrase "at least one of a first widget and a second
widget" means in the present application: the first widget, the
second widget, or the first widget and the second widget. Likewise,
"at least one of a first widget, a second widget and a third
widget" means in the present application: the first widget, the
second widget, the third widget, the first widget and the second
widget, the first widget and the third widget, the second widget
and the third widget, or the first widget and the second widget and
the third widget.
[0027] FIG. 1 shows an illustrative embodiment of a sling 10 for
coupling a weapon to a user of the weapon. The weapon can be any
type of weapon including long guns such as rifles, shotguns and the
like, or any other elongated weapon that is desired to be suspended
from the user in a plurality of different orientations. For the
sake of brevity, however, and to clearly describe the sling, the
illustrative embodiments set forth in detail below will describe
the sling 10 as being used to suspend a rifle from the user in a
single-point configuration and in a two-point configuration.
[0028] In the single-point configuration, one portion of the sling
10 is coupled to another portion of the sling 10 as described below
to form a loop 12 that extends around an upper torso portion of the
user 14 as shown in FIG. 2a. An extension 20 supporting a weapon
connector 16 (FIG. 1) extends in an outward direction, generally
away from the loop 12 to allow the weapon connector 16 to cooperate
with a compatible fastening feature provided to a
relatively-rearward portion of the rifle 18 (e.g., adjacent to a
stock 17 of the rifle 18). Thus, in the single-point configuration,
the weapon connector 16 is the sole connection point between the
rifle 18 and the sling 10. The sling 10, in the single-point
configuration, allows the rifle 18 to dangle high on the user 14
from the weapon connector 16, optionally with the muzzle 24 pointed
in a downward direction toward the ground.
[0029] In the two-point configuration, shown in FIG. 2b, the
portion of the sling 10 coupled to the other portion of the sling
to form the loop 12 in the single-point configuration is, instead,
coupled to a relatively-forward portion of the rifle 18 (e.g.,
closer to the muzzle 24 than the fastening feature provided
adjacent to the stock 17). A second connector, which can optionally
be the same connector used to couple the portions of the sling 10
together to form the loop 12 in the single-point configuration, can
optionally cooperate with a forward fastening feature provided to
the rifle 18 at this relatively-forward portion of the rifle 18. In
the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, this connector is a snap hook 26.
According to alternate embodiments, a second weapon connector 22,
different from the snap hook 26 utilized in FIG. 1 to form the loop
12, can be coupled to the snap hook 26 for cooperating with the
forward fastening feature of the rifle 18. For the embodiment shown
in FIG. 1, both the weapon connector 16 and the second weapon
connector 22 are so-called push-button swivels described in detail
below. Regardless of the connector coupled to the
relatively-forward position of the rifle 18 with the sling 10 in
the two-point configuration, the rifle 18 is coupled to the sling
10 at two locations, and can optionally be suspended from the user
14 in a substantially-horizontal orientation, or optionally more
horizontally than when suspended via the single-point
configuration.
[0030] Referring once again to FIG. 1, a strap 28 is formed from a
plurality of separate strap segments 28a, 28b, 28c that
collectively have a length suitable to extend around at least a
portion of the user 14 and couple the rifle 18 to the user 14. The
strap segments 28a, 28b, 28c can each be formed of any desired
material with a sufficient tensile strength to couple the rifle 18
to the user 14 without breaking. For example, one (1 in.) inch
tubular webbing made from nylon or other suitable material can be
used as the strap material. According to alternate embodiments, a
portion of the strap 28, such as the segment 28b that extends over
a shoulder of the user 14 wearing the sling 10 for example, can
optionally be formed from a larger dimensional tubing such as
tubing having a transverse dimension of two (2 in.) inches formed
from tubular nylon webbing, for example. The added size of the
strap segment 28b can help distribute the weight of a heavy weapon
over a greater area than the strap segment 28b formed from the one
(1 in.) inch tubular nylon webbing. For such embodiments, other
strap segments 28a, 28c can optionally be formed form the
smaller-dimension tubular nylon webbing.
[0031] A portion of the strap 28, such as strap segment 28b for
example, can optionally support a length of substantially-elastic
material 30 (shown in the encircled region 32 where the strap
material has been cut away), such as bungee cord for example. For
embodiments utilizing a tubular strap material, the bungee cord or
other substantially-elastic material 30 can optionally be enclosed,
or partially enclosed within the tubular strap material. For such
embodiments, the length of the tubular strap material enclosing the
substantially-elastic material 30 can be longer than the
substantially-elastic material 30 to allow the relatively
non-stretchable strap material to elongate with the
substantially-elastic material 30 when a tensile or other
stretching force is applied to the strap segment 28. The excess
tubular strap material provided to strap segment 28 is bunched up
along the length of the substantially-elastic material 30, forming
ripples 34 in the strap material. Such embodiments allow for
temporary elongation of the strap 28 from an unbiased length to an
elongated length in a substantially-elastic manner when subjected
to a tensile or other stretching force.
[0032] For other embodiments, however, the substantially-elastic
material 30 can optionally be disposed between two of the strap
segments 28a, 28b, 28c or otherwise coupled to the strap 28 to
allow for temporary elongation of the strap 28 from an unbiased
length to an elongated length in a substantially-elastic manner
when subjected to a tensile or other stretching force.
[0033] The strap segments 28a, 28b, 28c are coupled together by
connectors 36, 38 that each allow the strap segments to be adjusted
lengthwise (i.e., along their longitudinal axis) relative to each
other. For example, the connector 36 can include a so-called "slide
lock" buckle such as that shown in FIG. 3. The embodiment of the
connector 36 shown in FIG. 3 allows an end of the strap segment 28a
to be inserted through the aperture 42 and wrapped around an end
leg 40 before being folded back on itself and sewn together,
thereby coupling the strap segment 28a to the slide lock embodiment
of the connector 36. The middle leg 44 and other end leg 46 of the
slide lock embodiment of the connector 36 allow a plurality of
passes of the strap segment to extend through the apertures 42, 48
as described below with reference to FIG. 4 to provide the sling 28
with an enhanced adjustment range with a minimal storage of excess
strap material.
[0034] A second slide lock or other suitable connector 50, shown in
FIG. 1, can be provided along the length of strap segment 28b, such
as between the portion supporting the substantially-elastic
material 30 and the connector 36 for example. The connectors 36, 50
cooperate with the strap material of strap segments 28a, 28b to
form an adjustment region along the sling 10 to allow for rough
adjustment of the length of the strap 28 prior to deployment of the
sling 10. FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of the slide lock
embodiment of the connector 36 taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3, and
a similar cross-sectional view of the slide lock embodiment of the
connector 50 appearing in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 also shows three passes 52
of the strap segment 28b extending between slide lock buckle
embodiments of connectors 36, 50, and strap segment 28a coupled to
slide lock connector 36. Strap segment 28a can be wrapped around
the end leg 40 of the connector 36 and folded back onto itself, and
sewn or otherwise secured in place to couple the strap segment 28a
at a fixed length to the connector 36.
[0035] Users who wear the sling 10 in tactical situations desire to
minimize the amount of freely-hanging strap material, and loops of
excess strap material that allow for adjustment of the length of
the strap 28. Such objects can get tangled with the rifle or other
gear worn by the user, or catch on a door knob or other projection,
thereby negatively affecting the mobility of the user 14. By
storing strap material that has not been dispensed to contribute to
the length of the strap 28 in three or more passes 52, the size of
loops formed by each pass 52 can be minimized to limit the
possibility that such material can extend far enough from the user
and get caught on the user's gear, a door knob or other obstacle at
an inopportune time.
[0036] For example, every inch of the strap material included in
strap segment 28b that is taken in from outside the connector 50
and added to the passes can be divided equally amongst the passes.
Thus, to remove that inch of strap material from the length of
strap segment 28b, the distance between the connectors 36, 50
spanned by the passes 52 increases only one-third (1/3 in.) of an
inch. Thus, by employing at least three (3) passes between the
connectors 36, 50, the passes 52 remain reasonably sized, thereby
minimizing the possibility that the passes 52 will get caught on an
obstacle and interfere with the user's mobility. Further, enough
strap material can be distributed amongst the passes 52 to provide
the sling 10 with a suitable adjustment range.
[0037] To facilitate conversion of the sling 10 between single and
two-point configurations, a first connector 54 is shown in FIG. 1
coupled to the strap segment 28a adjacent a first end if the strap
28. For the embodiment show, the strap segment 28a is coupled to
the connector 36 at one end and to a coupler 56 at an opposite end.
The embodiment of the first connector 54 shown in FIG. 5 includes
two apertures 58, 60 formed in a metallic plate 62, which also
defines a generally D-shaped aperture 64. It is to be understood
that the generally D-shape of the aperture 64 is described merely
as an example, and that the aperture 64 can be of any shape
allowing cooperation with the snap hook 26 or other suitable
connector to form the strap 28 into a loop 12. Further, although
describes as being metallic, the metallic plate 62 can be formed
from any suitably durable material, including but not limited to
plastics and polymeric materials, metals and metal alloys, and the
like. The metallic plate 62 can optionally be substantially planar,
including relatively large primary surfaces with greater surface
area than minor surfaces forming the edge of the metallic plate 62
in a depth direction. As shown, the D-shaped aperture 64 can be
disposed at one lateral-end of the metallic plate 62, substantially
in a common plane with the metallic plate 62, allowing the first
connector 54 to rest flat against the user wearing the sling 10.
Further, for such embodiments, the D-shaped aperture 64 remains in
a substantially constant position known to the user, allowing ready
conversion of the sling 10 between single and two-point
configurations. Alternate embodiments of the first connector 54 can
include a D-shaped aperture 64 formed at both lateral ends of the
metallic plate 62 to create an ambidextrous sling 10, or provided
solely to the opposite end from that shown with the D-shaped
aperture 64 in FIG. 5 to create a left handed sling 10.
[0038] The strap segment 28a can extend through both apertures 58,
60 of the metallic plate 62 to couple the first connector 54 to the
strap segment 28a, terminating in the coupler 56 that releasably
couples the weapon connector 16 to the strap 28. For the embodiment
shown in FIG. 1, the coupler includes a plurality of independent
release mechanisms 66, shown as levers, that each require manual
manipulation, and optionally simultaneous manipulation, to release
the weapon connector 16 from the strap 28, and accordingly, the
sling 10. Each of the release mechanisms 66 can optionally be
spring biased toward a position at which the release mechanisms 66
retain the weapon connector 16 as part of the sling 10. Thus, if
one release mechanism is inadvertently manipulated, it is unlikely
that both can be simultaneously manipulated, resulting in
separation of the weapon connector 16 from the sling 10.
[0039] The levers forming the release mechanisms 66 in the
embodiment shown in FIG. 1 can be operatively connected to one or
more latches. Manipulating the release mechanisms 66 away from
their retaining positions can open the latch, thereby releasing the
weapon connector 16. Further, the embodiment of the coupler 56 in
FIG. 1 includes an all-metal construction to provide the sling with
added durability and resistance to wear from the elements that may
not be afforded by lesser materials. However, alternate embodiments
include a coupler 56 made of materials other than metal, such as a
plastic Classic SR Dual Adjust buckle offered by ITW Nexus, for
example.
[0040] The snap hook 26 or other connector employed as a second
connector is coupled to the strap 28 adjacent to a second end of
the strap 28. The snap hook 26 is compatible to cooperate with an
anchor point such as a metallic loop or other suitable anchor point
at the relatively forward portion of the rifle 18. Further, the
snap hook 26 is also compatible to clip onto the portion of the
first connector 54 defining a portion of the D-shaped aperture 64
or other connection feature to configure the strap into a loop 12
that extends about the portion of the user wearing the sling 10.
Thus, the snap hook 26 can optionally be interchangeably connected
to both the fastening feature of the rifle 18 and the first
connector 54. For such embodiments, if compatibility with different
anchor points possibly provided to the rifle is not a concern, the
snap hook 26 may thus be both the second connector for establish
the looped configuration of the strap 28 and the second weapon
connector 22. In other words, only the snap hook 26 need be coupled
adjacent the other end of the strap 28 opposite the end provided
with the first connector 54.
[0041] According to alternate embodiments, the rifle 18 may be
provided with a fastening feature that is not compatible with the
snap hook 26 to establish the two-point configuration. However, to
retain the ability to establish the loop configuration of the strap
28, the snap hook 26 may again be coupled adjacent to the end of
the strap 28 opposite the end provided with the first connector 54.
For the alternate embodiments, however, the second weapon connector
22, other than a snap hook 26, can also be coupled adjacent to the
end of the strap 28 opposite the end with the first connector
54.
[0042] This second weapon connector 22 can be coupled to the strap
28 adjacent the snap hook 26. Positioned as such, there is a
possibility that the snap hook 26 and second weapon connector 22
can make contact with each other, thereby emitting possibly
unwanted noises that could potentially give away the position of
the user wearing the sling 10. Again, in tactical situations, such
noises can affect the ability of the user to navigate an area
undetected. To minimize noises from contact between the snap hook
26 and the second weapon connector 22, a silencer 68 can be
provided to interfere with the ability of the snap hook 26 and
second weapon connector 22 to make contact and emit unwanted noises
as a result. For example, one embodiment of the silencer 68 can
include an adjustable sleeve formed from a material with a degree
of elasticity that allows the sleeve to be slid over at least one
of the snap hook 26 and the second weapon connector 22. According
to alternate embodiments, the sleeve can be slid along the strap
segment 28c over the one of the snap hook 26 and the second weapon
connector 22 that is not in use to couple the strap segment 28c to
another object such as the first connector 54 or the rifle 18. The
sleeve, once in place, holds and maintains a position of at least
one of the second weapon connector 22 and the snap hook 26 relative
to each other to minimize contact between the two.
[0043] Each of the weapon connectors 16, 22 can be independently
selected to be compatible with the rifle to be used with the sling
10. However, specific examples of connectors that can be used as
the weapon connector include, but are not limited to: a push button
swivel, a snap hook, and a mash hook. The snap hook, such as snap
hook 26 appearing in FIG. 6 and describe above as the second
connector, includes a hooked portion 70 that partially defines an
aperture 72 and clips onto the portion of the metallic plate 62
defining the D-shaped aperture 64, for example, or any other
compatible fastening feature. A leading end 74 of the snap hook 26
extends into the D-shaped aperture 64 when the hooked portion 70 is
in place to cooperate with the first connector 54. A spring-biased
gate 76 is coupled to rotate about a pivot pin 78, and biased
toward the closed position by a spring. To disconnect the snap hook
26 from the first connector 54, for example, the gate 76 is urged
inward in the direction of arrow 80 to pivot about the pivot pin
78, thereby opening the aperture 72 for removal of the snap hook 26
from the first connector 54. The strap material of the strap
segment 28c can be extended through an elongated transverse
aperture 82, folded back onto itself and sewn in place to couple
the snap hook 26 to the strap segment 28c.
[0044] An illustrative embodiment of a push button swivel 84 is
shown in FIG. 7. The push button swivel 84 includes a metallic,
tubular barrel 86 from which four, or other number of cams 88,
protrude. The cams 88 are urged outwardly from within the barrel 86
in their natural state. To couple and remove the push button swivel
84 to and from the compatible fastening feature 90 provided to the
rifle 18, a button 92 is manually pressed to relieve the
outward-biasing force on the cams 88, allowing them to be at least
partially retracted into the barrel 86 a sufficient distance to
allow the barrel 86 to enter/exit the fastening feature 90. With
the barrel 86 inserted into the fastening feature 90, the button
can be released, once again restoring the biasing force on the cams
88, holding the push button swivel 84 in place. Similar to the snap
hook 26, an elongated, transverse aperture 94 facilitates
connection of the push button swivel 84 to the strap material.
[0045] An illustrative embodiment of a mash hook 96 weapon
connector is shown in FIG. 8. Like the snap hook 26, the mash hook
96 also includes a hooked portion 98 with a leading end 100 that
extends into an aperture of a compatible fastening feature. Unlike
the snap hook 26, however, the mash hook 96 includes opposing
hooked portions 98 that together interfere with inadvertent removal
of the mash hook 96 from the weapon instead of the gate 76. To
connect and remove the mash hook 96, the opposing hooks are
separated by pressing on handles 102 and one of the hooked portions
98 is clipped onto the fastening feature, then the handles 102 are
released. Similar to the snap hook 26, an elongated, transverse
aperture 104 facilitates connection of the mash hook 96 to the
strap material.
[0046] Referring once again to FIG. 1, the sling 10 also includes a
rapid sizing adjuster 106 coupled along the strap 28 between the
first and second connectors 54, 26 to adjust a length of one of the
plurality of strap segments 28a, 28b, 28c extending between the
snap hook 26 and the portion of the strap 28 supporting the
substantially-elastic material. References made herein to along the
strap indicate that an object considered to be between two other
objects "along the strap" is in between when viewed by their
positions coupled to the strap. The object does not necessarily
have to simply be physically in between the two other objects. The
rapid sizing adjuster 106 is adjustable by the user 14 while
wearing the sling 10 to quickly establish a desired length of the
strap 28 in a single motion, while the sling 10 is coupling the
rifle 18 to the user 14.
[0047] During adjustment, a quick adjust buckle 108, shown in FIG.
9 and included as part of the rapid sizing adjuster 106, is slid
along a portion of the strap segment 28c. Strap segment 28c is
coupled to strap segment 28b using a loop lock 110 or other
suitable coupling. A portion 112 (shown in FIG. 1 and as hidden
lines in FIG. 9) of strap segment 28c pulled through the loop lock
110, extends through an aperture 116 (FIG. 9) formed in the quick
adjust buckle 108 to be folded back onto itself and sewn in place,
thereby coupling the end of the portion 112 to the quick adjust
buckle 108. The other end of the portion 112 leading toward the
snap hook 26 or other form of second connector along the strap
segment 28c extends through the loop lock 110, extends upwardly
through aperture 114 and back down through aperture 116, from where
it continues on to the snap hook 26 and optional additional weapon
connector 22. Each aperture 114, 116 can be any suitable size to
permit the quick adjust buckle 108 to be slid along the strap
segment 28c. According to an illustrative embodiment, each of the
apertures 114, 116 is at least one half (1/2 in.) of an inch in a
dimension X. Additional apertures 118 can optionally be formed in
the quick adjust buckle 108 to minimize the weight of the quick
adjust buckle 108 and, accordingly, the overall weight of the sling
10.
[0048] Ends 120 of a handle 122 (FIGS. 1 and 10) formed from a
flexible material such as the strap material, for example, can
extend through apertures 124 formed in the quick adjust buckle 108
to couple the handle 122 to the quick adjust buckle 108. The handle
can optionally include a plurality of passes of the strap material
to provide the handle 122 with a sufficient degree of rigidity to
substantially maintain an unbiased shape of the handle 122,
positioning a portion of the handle at least one (1 in.) from the
quick adjust buckle 108. When viewed on end as in FIG. 10, the Y
dimension separating the underside of the handle 122 from the
surface of the quick adjust buckle 108, the Y dimension being
normal to the surface of the quick adjust buckle 108, is at least
one (1 in.) inch according to one embodiment, or at least one and
one half (11/2 in.) inches according to another embodiment, or at
least two (2 in.) inches according to another embodiment. Suitably
sized, the handle 122 can be grasped with a single hand by the user
14 while wearing the sling 10 coupled to the rifle 18, even while
wearing gloves, to adjust, in a single motion, the length of the
strap segment 28c and, accordingly, the length of the strap 28.
[0049] The snap hook 26 will be considered to be the second
connector for the following example, but as mentioned above, the
second connector is not so limited. As the quick adjust buckle 108
is slid along the strap segment 28c toward the snap hook 26 to
shorten distance separating the loop lock 110 and the snap hook 26,
the portion 112 of the strap segment 28c between the quick adjust
buckle 108 and look lock 110 is lengthened, and the other portion
of the strap segment 28c separating the snap hook 26 and the loop
lock 110 is shortened, thereby shortening the length of the strap
28. Despite shortening the distance between the snap hook 26 and
loop lock 110, however, the excess strap material is taken up as
the portion 112 that is coupled to the quick adjust buckle 108.
Thus, even when the strap segment 28c is shortened, a free end of
the strap segment 28c is not left to hang freely, posing a threat
to get tangled in the rifle 18 or other gear worn by the user
14.
[0050] Adjusting the quick adjust buckle 108 in the other direction
along the strap segment 28c, the distance between the loop lock 110
and the snap hook 26 approaches its smallest dimension as the
length of the portion 112 of the strap segment 28c pulled through
the loop lock 110 approaches the length of the portion of the strap
segment 28c extending between the loop lock 110 and the snap hook
26. If the snap hook 26 defines a limit of the distance the quick
adjust buckle 108 can be pulled in this direction along the strap
segment 28c, then the shortest distance along the strap segment 28c
between the loop lock 110 and the snap hook 26 occurs when the
portion 112 of the strap segment 28c is approximately equal in
length to the portion of the strap segment 28c separating the loop
lock 110 from the snap hook 26. In contrast, the length of the
portion of the strap segment 28c extending between the loop lock
110 and the snap hook 26 approaches its greatest length as the
length of the portion 112 of the strap segment 28c pulled through
the loop lock 110 approaches its shortest length.
[0051] According to embodiments of the invention, a plurality of,
or all of the connectors provided to the sling 10, including but
not limited to the weapon connector 16; second weapon connector 22;
snap hook 26 or other second connector; connectors 36, 38; slide
lock connector 50; first connector 54; coupler 56, loop lock 110,
and quick adjust buckle 108, can be formed from a metal, metal
alloy, or similarly durable material.
[0052] Illustrative embodiments have been described, hereinabove.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above
devices and methods may incorporate changes and modifications
without departing from the general scope of this invention. It is
intended to include all such modifications and alterations within
the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, to the extent that
the term "includes" is used in either the detailed description or
the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner
similar to the term "comprising" as "comprising" is interpreted
when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
* * * * *